The Jumper
by cheesetoast
Summary: Ashlyn is hunted and craved by vampires. They are all a threat to her life, and she doesn't hesitate to kill them all - until she meets Eric Northman.
1. Just Another Night

For the first time in a long time, Ashlyn had been caught off-guard. He came out of nowhere, somehow able to mask his scent from her. Jackson was becoming extremely crafty and extremely irritating. For two weeks now he had been trying to do what all the other vampires before him had failed to do - taste Ashlyn's intoxicating blood. While she was slow to react to his initial attack this evening, it didn't take long to recover from her lapse in concentration.

Jackson had her pinned underneath him. Of course he was much stronger than her and she could see in his eyes he thought he'd finally won. She wriggled and squirmed, trying to free herself as his fangs popped out and he lowered his face only centimetres from hers. He let out a half growl, half moan as he licked his lips, staring at the pulsing vein in Ashlyn's neck. She knew he would savour his 'victory' as they all did; a great weakness. She was playing him and he didn't even know it. The instant he tilted his head forward to take a bite from her neck, she vanished from underneath him and watched him fall flat on his face from where she now stood, meters behind him. Now Jackson was pissed, and the real fun was about to begin.

He stood up and lunged toward her. She waited until the very last second to act. As his fingertips brushed her jacket, she vanished again. They continued this way for almost five minutes; Jackson never managing to get any closer than that. Ashlyn was becoming bored of Jackson's sad attempts very quickly and decided to finish it. She found a small tree nearby and broke off one of the shorter branches.

"Sorry Jackson, but you're really boring me tonight," she called out as she jumped behind him; one arm around his throat, the other controlling the branch she held to his chest. "Although, I am intrigued as to how you managed to hide your smell from me. Would you care to enlighten me?" When she recieved no answer, she pushed the makeshift stake into his chest, a few millimeters short of his heart. "Tell me!" She shouted.

"Only if you let me go." Ashlyn did not reply to Jackson, only twisting the stake around, making him cry out in agony. "Okay, okay! It was magic. Now please let me go! I promise I'll leave you alone!" She knew he was lying. As she drove the stake into his dead, unbeating heart, she vanished, not wanting to get vampire blood on her clothes again. Jackson exploded into a shower of blood and pieces of torn clothing. Ashlyn didn't want to leave this mess in the park for a small child to find the following morning, so with a wave of her hand the remains of vampire vanished and landed in a near by dumpster.

Magic? She knew it was definitely out there, but why a witch would help a vampire was beyond her. Unless of course they were forced to - hypnotised. Ashlyn didn't know of any witches in her town, but she was going to make finding out a priority.

~

"Run into trouble again did we?" Adam said through a smirk as Ashlyn walked into their living room.  
"Oh, you know me too well," she laughed. "It was Jackson again. But I didn't let him get away tonight. One less fanger I have to worry about now."

She threw her keys on the table and sat down next to Adam on the couch as she recalled the nights events. "Are there even any blood suckers left in this town now, Buffy? In the last two months you've taken out, what, eleven of them?" Adam asked teasingly.  
Ashlyn was relieved to say, "as far as I know, he was the last - for now. And I'm glad because I'd really like to spend some time with my best friend doing normal shit before he goes back on tour next week."

"Yeah about that, Ash. My manager called me not five minutes before you came in and told me I'm doing 2 charity shows in some city a few hours from my first concert. He's booked me a flight for midday tomorrow." Ashlyn was disappointed that their time had been cut short and Adam could see that in her expression. They stayed up for hours just talking and hanging out, knowing it was really their only chance. At 4am, eyes were drooping all round and they called it a night.


	2. The New Guy

It had been a week since Adam left on his Glam Nation tour. Ashlyn was happy for him; he was living his dream. But deep down she was lonely and longed for the day her friend would be back. They'd known each other since she was a small girl, and he was like a brother to her. The only true friend she had. The only person in the world who knew her secret. Even Ashlyn's parents didn't know. It was just too dangerous. She didn't want to think of what could happen to them if a vampire found them and tried to get information out of them. Adam was safe though, constantly in the limelight, surrounded by people and travelling to all parts of the globe. He knew Ashlyn better than she knew herself sometimes.

Sick of being bored and lonely, Ashlyn decided it was time to get out of the house. She needed some excitement, so she drove into the city to meet Adam's sister, Sandra, at a bar. Sandra had already had a few drinks by the time Ashlyn got there, but that didn't bother Ash one bit. She never intended to drink herself; she needed to be prepared in case another vampire decided to try his luck on her. The two women sat there for a couple of hours, Sandra drinking all sorts of alcoholic beverages while Ash stuck to plain old soda or water.

Sandra managed to find a guy on the dance floor and they left together, most likely headed to her place for sex. That was typical of Sandra, but Ash didn't mind. If she wanted to do that sort of thing then that was her call. She sat at the bar while she finished her drink. As she was about to leave, she caught a very distinctive scent. Vampire. Scanning the room, she couldn't find the source of the smell, but she knew it was there. Then she spotted him. For a moment she was completely gob-smacked. He was very handsome and with all the hatred she carried towards vampires, she still could not take her eyes off him. Before she knew it, he was sitting beside her.

"It's rude to stare, you know." He said in a casual voice; his magnificent green eyes looking her up and down, hovering for a second over Ashlyn's breasts. He was easily a full foot taller than Ashlyn, and well built, with silky blonde hair and beautifully carved features.  
"It's rude to stare at a lady's cleavage." Ash retorted coolly. Usually by now the vampire would be all over her, trying to suck away at her veins, but for some reason this vampire didn't show any sign of aggression or blood lust.  
"Well now we're even aren't we." He said and quickly followed it with a wink. "What's your name, cutie?"  
Ash scoffed. "Cutie? Nice try buddy, but I know you know what I am, and I know what you are, _fanger._" She lowered her voice as she said the last word so no one would hear. Her tone dripped in disgust. "Why haven't you tried anything yet?"  
"I don't know how you know what I am, but if I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have done it already?" He made a good point, and Ashlyn relaxed the tiniest bit, still ready for anything. "My name is Eric Northman. I'm sure you're familiar with vampire hierarchy, so I'll cut to the chase. I am the sheriff of area 5, and I've noticed you've been killing quite a few of my kind. I don't know why, but I don't appreciate that at all and I want you to stop. Good, keep looking into my eyes."

Ashlyn was shocked that he would even try to glamour her. Was it possible that he didn't know what she was?  
"That doesn't work on me." Ash was beginning to think this was about to turn ugly. Eric was old, she could tell. And the older they were, the more challenging it was to get rid of them. He looked at her in astonishment.  
"Why can't I glamour you?" He said angrily, gripping her shoulders. People started paying attention to them now, and Ashlyn got up and walked outside into an alley. She was expecting him to be there too. And he was.

Eric pinned Ash up against the wall. She didn't fight it though; something inside her was sure he wasn't going to hurt her. It would have been easy for her to jump, but clearly he wasn't sure what she was and she wasn't about to give it away.  
"What are you?" He asked, staring into her big, brown eyes, searching for an answer that wasn't there.  
"If you don't know, then there's no way I'm telling you. Do you think I'm that stupid?" Ash laughed at Eric. He could tell she was enjoying this back and forth, and he was getting mad. He didn't like not being in control. His grip tightened around Ashlyn's wrists and his body was as close to hers as it could be without touching. She let out a small groan at the pain, but was determined not to jump. She would not give in to him.  
"What are you?" He growled, fangs now visible.  
"None of your God-damned business. Now let me go." Ash didn't struggle at all and she spoke calmly.  
Eric was becoming increasingly frustrated. _Why isn't she afraid,_ he thought, then it clicked. He decided to employ another tactic. This was one that always got him what he wanted, one way or another. He retracted his fangs and pushed his body hard against Ashlyn's smaller frame. Immediately she tensed, unsure of how to react. She could feel a slight pressure pushing on her lower abdomen as he stared into her eyes. Eric grinned a devilishly cheeky smile, and Ash felt herself blushing as she realised the pressure she felt was his penis, growing harder by the second. He knew he was winning, and so did Ashlyn. Before she knew it, she was gone. Eric chuckled and said to himself excitedly, "I knew it. Fucking jumper!"


	3. Mine

Ashlyn watched from the roof of the bar as Eric spoke to himself, "I knew it. Fucking Jumpers!" She shouldn't have reacted like that - it was exactly what he had hoped for, and if he wasn't sure about her before, he certainly was now. In another second, Ashlyn was in her bedroom. She collapsed onto her bed, not bothering to change into her pyjamas. Her mind was racing. She'd never encountered a vampire like Eric before and she was confused by his actions. What did he want from her? How was he making her act so strangely?

For hours she lay awake tossing and turning, trying to stop thinking about it. There was no way Eric could get to her here. She hadn't told him her name, and he certainly didn't know where she lived. Even if he had, her house was practically vampire proof. A very fine, virtually invisible coat of paint containing silver particles covered every inch of the outside of her home. The walls, the windows, the doors. Even the doorknobs had the fine mist on them. No vampire could touch her house without making enough noise from the pain for Ashlyn to know they were there. That, and of course she would need to give them her permission to enter the house. She was totally safe. With that thought playing over in her head, she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the sun was high in the sky by the time Ashlyn woke up. Normally she'd be up much earlier than 11:30am, but after last night her body needed the extra sleep. Her mind however, was cursing it. She'd dreamt of Eric for most of the eight hours that she slumbered. She didn't wake up once, and had a very refreshing, deep sleep. Gratefully, she couldn't remember much of the dreams, just that _he_ was definitely in them. With another six to seven hours of daylight, she forced herself to forget about Eric for the time being. He would be sleeping somewhere now, until the sun had completely set, and Ashlyn really had nothing to worry about now.

She spent most of the day cleaning, which she hated. But the house was a mess and it needed to be done. By 4:30 in the afternoon, every room was spotless once again. Ash had even managed to paint her nails and slap on some light make-up - something that was a rarity for her these days. Desperately in need of groceries, she made a normal trip to the store. _No jumping today_, she thought. _Time to feel normal._ As much as she hated to admit it, she looked great in the lovely summery dress Adam had brought back for her from his last trip overseas. It was a light, simple dress; royal blue and ankle length, with thick straps. It clung to her and flowed from her in all the right places. With the addition of a white belt around her waist, some white ballet flats and a creamy lace bolero, her look was complete. And though she never noticed it, she earned quite a few looks from men in the shop.

Armed with three canvas shopping bags packed full of groceries, she made her way back to her car. Once she arrived home, she unloaded the bags, put the groceries away and stared into the fridge, wondering what to cook for dinner. After ten minutes, Ashlyn still couldn't decide, so she opted for take-out. Still wanting to spend the day as normal as possible, she hopped back in the car and headed to her favourite restaurant and ordered her favourite pasta. So far her normal day was going great, and it was nice to be boring for once. As she made her way back into her street though, she had the nagging feeling that things were about to become more interesting. Sighing, she parked her car on her driveway and headed to the side of her house where the entry was. There was a tall figure leaning against the wall next to her door. All she could smell was cologne and she was sure it was no vampire. Never had she met a vampire who wore cologne.

"Who's there?" She asked, keeping her distance. The person moved slightly, triggering the security light on. Ashlyn froze. He was smiling that dazzling, white smile again. She should have known. Eric.  
"You're a hard woman to track, you know." He moved closer to Ashlyn as he spoke, but she stood her ground this time.  
"How did you find me then?"  
"The same way you noticed me in the bar."  
"Sorry, but how did I do that?" Ashlyn asked testingly. She wasn't about to give anything away if he was just looking for confirmation.  
"Don't play coy with me." He leaned in close, only half a foot away from Ashlyn. He closed his eyes for a second and inhaled. "Smell." Leaning back, he continued. "Maybe you should consider wearing a more common perfume." He paused as Ashlyn mentally cursed herself. "Really, it was pure luck though. I happen to live just around the corner from where you went shopping tonight and I caught a whiff of that same smell from last night. It's not hard to follow someone home without them noticing when you can fly. And I'm really glad you went out again, too. It gave me the chance to really surprise you." He finished with a wink.

"Well congratulations, you found me. Now try your best. Even with your speed, strength and flying, you'll never catch me." Ashlyn jumped behind him. But Eric didn't move. He simply chuckled, and then slowly turned around to face her again.  
"What?" Ashlyn asked in an irritated tone.  
"I just find it amusing that you still think I'm trying to kill you. Especially in that dress." He winked again.  
"What do you want from me then if not my blood?"  
"You won't believe it. But I want to protect you. You should know that you are worth far more alive than you are dead."

Ashlyn was taken aback. No vampire had ever considered that before; they were all just so consumed in their blood lust. It was clear that Eric had some hidden motive, but for now Ash thought that maybe the best option would be to accept. She would be keeping a very close eye on Eric and his plan, though.  
"What would I have to do and what would you gain?" She questioned.  
"I would call you mine. No other vampire could touch you in any way. If they did, it would be the true death, no questions asked. They tend to follow my orders, after all, I am their sheriff and a thousand years old." Eric said smugly.  
"Yours? Does that mean you'd own me?" Ashlyn did not like the sound of that at all.  
"It would. But don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're far too pretty." Eric smirked, looking her up and down again.  
"Fine. But you're never getting a drop of my blood. I can promise you that."  
"That sounds like a deal to me. Now, can I at least know your name since you are mine?"  
Figuring there was no reason to keep that from him, she said, "Ashlyn. Ashlyn Flowers."  
Eric laughed. "Flowers? Honestly?"  
"Shut up and get off my porch, Northman. And don't even think I'm inviting you in. I'm not that stupid." Ashlyn glared and pushed past Eric, unlocking her door and swiftly closing it behind her once she was safely inside. She heard Eric laugh one more time before flying off.

It was only 9:30pm, but Ashlyn felt incredibly tired. By ten o'clock, she had showered, replied to an email from Adam and jumped into bed. She was asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow. After what felt like only a few hours, she was awake again. It was still dark and as she rolled over she looked at her alarm clock. It read 2:18am. It was stuffy in her room, so she got up to open the window. She nearly fell over when she saw Eric floating there, shirtless. Lost for words, she just stared. He had a stunning body. Beautifully sculpted muscles lined his torso. He floated towards her, and into the room.

"How did you? I never invited you in!" Ashlyn was suddenly frightened, and he could sense that.  
"You didn't, this is just a dream, Ashlyn." Her name just rolled off his lips so effortlessly and seductively. Why was she dreaming about Eric again? His bare feet landed without a sound, and before she could think, he swept her off her feet and placed her on her bed, laying on top of her but not making contact. She looked into his eyes, completely dumbfounded. If this really was a dream - her dream - why couldn't she control herself?

Her hands had a mind of their own; her fingers traced his abs until they were at the rim of his pants. He moved a little, forcing Ashlyn's hand to his crotch and he let out the tiniest of shivers. His lips came crashing down onto hers, and all she could do was part her lips and let his tongue in. They kissed and rubbed their hands all over each other for a while, until Eric lifted Ashlyn's shirt off. He stared at her body, then continued to attack her lips with his own while feeling her bare breasts in his hand. She let out a small moan into their kiss and reached into Eric's expanding pants.

Then she woke up. She was sweating, her heart racing. Her clock said 2:43. That was a good sign. Without thinking, she went straight to her window to open it. She needed fresh air. She was not expecting to see Eric floating there as he had in her dream. But she did, and at least he was fully clothed this time.


	4. Golden Rubies

"Eric! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Ashlyn wasn't happy. Did he think he could just call on her whenever he liked?  
"It's fascinating to watch a human sleep. You move so much. Bad dream?" he grinned as Ashlyn narrowed her eyes.  
"You could say that." She said coldly and continued. "You're a creep. You can't just come to my house whenever you like. It's still private property."  
He ignored her. "What were you dreaming about?" He floated closer to her window.  
"None of your business, Northman. And I wouldn't come any closer if I were you." As she had predicted, Eric did not heed her warning. He lowered himself until he was standing on the roof rather than hovering over it. His fingers closed around the outside of the window. "I told you." Ashlyn sighed.

Two perfectly white and even fangs popped out as Eric grunted in pain, quickly withdrawing his hand. His fingers were red and blistered, but they healed within seconds. He looked at Ashlyn, half angry, half impressed. Silver was a little known weakness of vampires, but she knew somehow. That shouldn't have surprised him though. He already knew how crafty she was when it came to vampires. For a while they just stood there studying each other, both thinking their own thoughts. Ashlyn was still caught up in her dream, what it meant, and couldn't stop thinking about it. Eric was thinking of her silver-coated house, wondering what her weaknesses were. Surely she had to have them too. Asking her directly was never going to a viable option. He would have to research it. She wasn't the only Jumper in the world. If you knew where to look, you could find out anything you wanted to know. And Eric was powerful; it wouldn't take much effort to get the information he needed.

Ashlyn broke the silence, and her intent gaze on Eric. She was staring, and by the smirk on his face, he enjoyed it. "If you have no reason to be here, can I ask that you please leave? I'm tired and I'd like to go back to sleep - alone."  
Eric laughed, winked, then flew away. Ashlyn waited for a couple of minutes to make sure he was gone and closed her window and curtains tightly. She knew he was there for a reason. He didn't mention any, but if he had, she would have known if it was a lie or not. Not even a vampire could mask that from her. She did, however, know that he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't hurt her. As much as that comforted her, it also worried her. As long as he never found out what weakened her ability to jump - and her - she had nothing to worry about.

~

Three days had passed since the strange meeting with Eric at her window. It had been a quiet three days. Only one vampire had crossed paths with her, and he didn't do anything more than look at her. Apparently Eric's authority was not something they wanted to mess with. She hadn't heard from Eric since that night either. Not that she was complaining, but something seemed odd. Was he okay? What was she even thinking? She shouldn't care if he's okay or not. He's a vampire! Until she met him, no vampire had ever lived more than a few days after coming in contact with her. With the exception of Jackson, of course. But he was just too fun; always trying the same thing and failing harder each time.

On that third night when Ashlyn returned home from a movie with Sandra, she found Eric waiting by her door again. He had on a plain black long-sleeved button up shirt and black dress pants. His shirt had one too many buttons undone, revealing his well toned chest. Golden hair slicked back off his face shone in the light above the door. Ashlyn thought he looked hot. _Hot? What the fuck is wrong with me? He's a vampire for Christ's sake Ashlyn. He's dead!_ She shook the thought out of her head, though unsuccessfully. He truthfully was gorgeous, even if she hated what he was. In his hand he had a small bag.

"Finally. I've been waiting here for an hour." Eric didn't sound annoyed at all. In fact he sounded almost happy about it.  
"I was out." Ashlyn wasn't playing his game tonight.  
"I can see that. I was out of the country on business, and since you are mine, I thought I should bring you back a gift." As he finished speaking, he moved closer to Ashlyn and handed her the bag. Inside it she found a small box. Before she had a chance to say anything, or even open the box, Eric zoomed behind her and took the box from her hands. She felt a cold object touching the front of her chest, and realized he was putting a necklace on her.

Why would he buy her a necklace? She started to feel weak and it hit her. He'd worked it out. As she dropped to her knees, she shouted out, "son of a bitch!" It wasn't burning her, or marking her skin in anyway. But it hurt. The gold chain was draining her energy and the ruby pendant hastened the affect. She tried to jump, to move, but nothing happened. If she didn't get it off, she would pass out. Eric was not going to make that easy. By now Ashlyn was laying on the ground, defenceless; her hands too shaky to undo the clasp, too weak to rip it off.

Eric squatted beside her, stroking her cheek.  
"You didn't think you could keep that from me did you? If I don't know your weaknesses, how can I protect you?" He ran a hand down her side to her hip, then across her lower back and underneath her. Ashlyn shivered as Eric picked her up and unlocked her front door with a gloved hand.  
"Invite me in and I will take it off. I told you I didn't want to hurt you." Ashlyn didn't answer, only shook her head. But she was too weak to continue this for much longer. She searched Eric's eyes, and after a moment said, "Eric Northman, p-please come in."

Within half a second they were in the living room. Eric laid her down on the couch and took the necklace off. It would be a good ten minutes until Ash felt somewhat okay again. He put a cushion under her head and began talking.  
"I am sorry that I had to do that, but you were never going to tell me if I just asked."  
"You're damn right, asshole." She snapped weakly.  
"If you know my weaknesses, then I should know yours." He continued gently. "I meant what I said, I want to protect you. There's things out there that even you don't understand and you're far too pretty to get killed."

Ash was still too weak to be able to tell if he was lying or not, but she could tell that he did seem genuine. It took all of her strength to stand up, and no sooner had she stood, she lost her balance. Eric caught her and held her close while he helped her stand straight. Her face was pressed against his revealed chest. She breathed in and noticed his scent wasn't vampirey at all. In fact, he smelled nice. He could feel her warm breath against his cold skin; it was a foreign feeling and it made him shiver. Fingers to her chin, Eric gently tilted Ash's head up and looked into her eyes, intending to say goodbye. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and before either of them knew what was happening, their lips were together. This was definitely not a dream.


	5. Risks

The kiss didn't last long. It was sweet and gentle; Eric's hand still holding Ashlyn's chin. Their tongues didn't leave their own mouths until the end of the kiss. Ashlyn's tongue barely brushed the tip of Eric's before she pulled away, the realization of what just happened hitting her. She blushed a little and tried to step back out of Eric's grasp. Her body was still too weak and she became unsteady. He caught her again, carried her up the stairs and put her down on her bed.

"I'll see myself out." He said as he turned and walked from the room. Ash heard the front door close and the lock click. Then he was gone. She was so confused. Until two minutes ago, she had been so sure Eric was just putting on the good guy act. But after that kiss, she knew he wasn't. Not anymore, at least. There was something about him that made her heart race, that excited her. Whether it was good or bad though, only time would tell. Her brain had finally succumbed to her body's exhaustion and she fell into a long, deep, dreamless sleep.

~

Eric had official sheriff business to attend to that night on the other side of the province. He was already late after waiting for Ash as long as he did. He didn't care though. This meeting was about her - not that anyone knew it was even her they were looking for. The seven other sheriffs from across Alberta were becoming concerned about the amount of vampires who had fallen off the radar in the past few months. They were each investigating their own areas to find out who or what was taking out dozens of their kind. None of them had come up with anything. None of them except for Eric.

He'd had a thousand years to perfect the art of lying, and being twice the age of any other sheriff meant no one dared challenge him. It helped though that they all like him, and wanted him to be king, not that bastard Shaun. He knew who was killing his kind. The human he had called his own. No one suspected him of hiding anything and he wasn't about to give her up. There was something special about her, besides her blood.

"You're late, sheriff Northman." A plump little woman sitting in the corner spoke the moment Eric entered the room, clearly annoyed.  
"Yeah, we have other shit to do too, Mr. High and Mighty." A few of them laughed at the scrawny vampires well-meant joke, but they all fell silent when Eric looked up, blank faced.  
He said calmly, "I was chasing a lead. Unfortunately, it was a dead end. But there hasn't been anymore trouble in the past couple of weeks. I think our presence has been felt and understood. Whoever is behind this is not a fool. They know when to back down." Eric always had a way with words, ever the smooth talker. The meeting only lasted a few more minutes; eveyrone satisfied with and in agreement to his presumptions, eager to return to their own business, for now. Soon enough the king would show an interest, even if Ashlyn laid low and kept her stakes to herself. If the king found out about her, he would drain her and kill her without hesitation. And probably Eric too for hiding her. But he wasn't going to let that happen.

At first, Eric was pissed with what Ashlyn had been doing. But for some reason, unknown to him, he had grown very fond of her and didn't care any more. He didn't know what it was he was feeling. It was like nothing he'd ever felt towards a human before and he didn't know how to deal with it. In his thousand years on this Earth, he'd never once considered a human as a companion. They were supposed to be dinner and sexual appetizers, and nothing more. All he knew was that he couldn't live with himself if anything were to happen to Ash. He needed to be around to protect her. But he was torn; being intimately close to her could easily be worse than not being there at all.

~

Two days after their kiss, Ashlyn still hadn't seen or heard from Eric. She desperately needed to talk to him about what happened. The things she was feeling for him were making her head explode. It was all she could think about. She'd never been to his house, but she knew where he lived. She could have sniffed it out if she needed to, though. But going to his house would be too risky. There was a good chance he'd have more vampires lurking around somewhere. Afterall, he did hold a powerful position within the vampire world.

Right now, Ashlyn needed Adam. He had never really had an opinion on vampires, good or bad. He knew Ash's reasons for killing them, and he supported her. She knew he would be there for her and help her work out what was going on in her head no matter what. But he wasn't going to be back from his tour for nearly two months, so all she could do was hope that Eric would come around soon. No sooner had she thought about it, her doorbell rang. She got off the couch instantly and practically ran to the door and opened it.

"Did you just run to the door?" Eric asked with a wide smile on his face.  
"What? No. As if." Ashlyn was trying desperately not to blush. "Are you coming in or are you going to stand out there all night?"  
"You want me to stay all night?" He said with that smile still plastered on his face. Ash rolled her eyes and moved to the side to allow the huge lump of muscle enough room to fit through the door.  
As soon as they sat down on the couch, Ash began. "We need to talk about what happened the other night." Eric said nothing; his expression became more serious though, so she continued.  
"I don't know why, but I feel things for you. I shouldn't. I barely know you, and you're the one thing I've spent my life hating." She moved closer to him and put a hand on his face, stroking his cheek as he had done to her before. "You're different from the rest and I want to get to know you better Eric Northman." She lowered her hand back into her lap, but didn't move away from him.

Eric loved the way his name sounded coming from Ashlyn's lips. The way she touched him so gently, as if he wasn't a blood-sucking killer. He got up and walked toward the door. Ashlyn jumped in front of him. The gap between his body and the door was just barely big enough for her to fit, but she managed.  
"Don't you dare walk away from me Eric! You kissed me too. If you don't feel anything for me then just fucking say it. But don't leave me with no response."

She put her hands on his chest, feeling his perfectly identical pecks; never breaking eye contact. Ash stood on her toes and leaned in to kiss Eric. Before she could, he whipped her around with incredible speed so he now had his back to the door. He held her in the same embrace while he spoke.  
"I don't think it's wise for us to be together, Ashlyn. It could put you in more danger, and that's precisely what I'm trying to avoid."  
"Honestly Eric, I don't care. I can take care of myself. You vampires might be fast, but I can move instantly."  
"Until they find out how you react to gold and rubies. What then?"  
"They won't. And if they do, so what? They still won't stand a chance. No one ever has. Please stay the night, if you're not busy." Eric raised an eyebrow, trying to interpret what Ash meant. She realised how bad she worded her suggestion and quickly said, "Oh, not for _that_! Just to talk, get to know each other." She blushed. Eric seemed to make her do that a lot.

He gazed at Ash for a while, before giving in and kissing her. This time the kiss was long and more, well, just more. Ash jumped away from him multiple times, teasing him, making him chase her. He was always half a second behind her, attacking her with kisses each time he caught her. She jumped to her room without thinking and Eric was there, hands around her hips, pushing her down onto her bed. He was having too much fun and he knew this was going to distract him from keeping her safe.  
"I'm sorry. We can't. It's just too risky." Eric said solemnly as he got off Ash. Before she could say anything, he flew out the window.


	6. Jealousy

She didn't know why she wanted him so bad, but she did. Maybe it was the excitement of something dangerous - she had always found danger thrilling. Maybe it was because it seemed as though she couldn't have him. Or maybe it was something else entirely. But whatever the reason, Ashlyn was not going to give up on Eric. Never in a million years did she think she would do anything with a vampire other than kill it. But here she was, wanting, craving for one to be with her.

Maybe she'd got it wrong. Was it possible that she was just unlucky enough to run into vamps that wanted only to feed from her until now? Maybe they weren't all bad. Eric certainly wasn't. The way he kissed her, the way he touched her so softly and elequently, the fire in his eyes; that said he felt the same way she did. And maybe he was what she'd really been in search for; blinded by hatred towards vampires based on something she couldn't control or change about herself. It didn't seem fair to Ash, but that was life. Maybe he was the key to opening her mind up.

_"Please leave a message after the beep."_  
"Eric, this is Ashlyn. But I'm sure you knew that without me saying it." She was babbling. "So, yeah, umm. It's been a week since... you know. Will you please just call me, or even send a God damn text message? This is crazy!" Ashlyn paused, deciding against adding more, then ended the call. It had taken quite a lot of snooping to get Eric's phone number. She'd spent the last three nights hanging around his house, caked in a mixture of cheap cologne and herbs to mask her smell from the vampires. Most of them knew that she smelled different to other humans, but they didn't know why. Only the smart ones - or perhaps stupid - had come after her in the past.

Ashlyn smelled vile. But it had worked just as she'd hoped. Not a single person, vampire or otherwise, had noticed her at all. She studied the guard's shifts and on the third night when she knew one of them was going to be alone, she willed his mobile phone out of his pocket and into her hand from an opposite rooftop. Luckily, she found 'Sheriff Eric N' in the contacts. That was the easy part. Getting the phone back into the guard's pocket would be a little more tricky. Ash only had two minutes until the guard would be joined by another. She was taking a risk, but figured the best way would be to jump behind him and place it back in his pocket, then jump away again. He almost caught her. But he wasn't quite fast enough. Ash was back in her living room without a second glance.

~

Another week had gone by, and still Ashlyn hadn't heard a peep from Eric. She'd seen him twice while she was running errands in the evenings, knowing full well that he'd seen her too. But he completely ignored her. Ash was fed up and thought it would be best to just forget about Eric, because clearly he didn't want anything to do with her. Of course she couldn't forget about him though. But all she could do was try to push him to the back of her mind.

Somehow, Sandra had convinced Ash that she needed a night out; a night of fun. What she really needed was to see her best friend, but Adam was in Europe, still touring; his sister would have to do. So reluctantly, Ash joined Sandra and her new boyfriend, and his friend on a double date. She was actually having a great time. Not once during dinner did she think about Eric. Her date for the night, Caleb, was incredibly good looking. His eyes were as blue as they sky, and they twinkled in the light. Chestnut hair fell around his face, somewhat unruly, poking up messily. But it suited him perfectly, Ash thought. She was delighted to find out that he was as kind and interesting as he was good looking. And he seemed to enjoy Ash's company.

Sandra and her boyfriend Dave had left a little while ago, leaving Ashlyn and Caleb alone at the restaurant bar. Normally Ash hated being left alone with someone she didn't know, but she and Caleb got along really well, so she didn't mind this time. Neither of them were big drinkers. After they each had a second rum and coke, they wanted to get out of there. His little sister was a huge fan of Adam's, and Ash suggested that Caleb go back to her place where she knew Adam kept a few spare signed CD's for situations just like this. He agreed eagerly and drove Ash home.

"I can't remember where he stashes them so come on in if you like. It might take me a while to find them." Ash said with a smile and Caleb gladly accepted her invite. She was right, it took the best part of ten minutes to find them.  
"Found them! Hey, have you ever seen any of the Urban Legend movies? I just found the collection," she called as she walked back into the living room.  
Caleb thought about it for a moment and said, "Nope, not yet. But I hear they're quite good."  
"If you don't have anything to do, maybe you could stay a while longer and watch the first one with me? It's still pretty early." Caleb nodded enthusiastically in agreement. He was excited to spend more time with Ashlyn.

They sat on the couch together, maybe a little too close for two people who had just met. But neither seemed to mind. Half way through the movie, Caleb asked who the main actor was. He thought he was familiar but couldn't put his finger on it. Ash, of course, knew the answer.  
"That's Jared Leto. He's a total hottie." She said poking her tongue as Caleb as he jokingly screwed up his face. "You know, you kinda look a tiny bit like him."  
"A total hottie?" Caleb joked. Ash looked down and blushed. She hoped he wouldn't notice but he did. He tilted her head up to eye level.

"Don't blush! I think you're a total hottie too, so we're even," he finished with a warm smile. Ash relaxed a little and Caleb put an arm around her. At first she didn't know what to do, but she just went with it and cuddled into him for the remainder of the movie. When the credits started rolling, neither of them said anything or moved. Finally, Ash tried to get up and turn it off, sick of the credits. Caleb lightly grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the couch. Then he stole a kiss. A quick kiss; a soft peck on the lips.

He glanced at Ash for a moment, slightly embarrassed. But she quickly closed the gap between them and kissed him again. Their tongues snaked around each others mouths; hands wandering a little. She gently pushed him back and sat on his thighs, her mouth never leaving his. Caleb's hands wandered down to Ash's bum and gave it a light squeeze. Her hand wandered down his body and rested on his hip.

Suddenly, Caleb broke away. "Ash, you're a nice girl. Really nice. I'm sure you don't normally do this, and neither do I. I'm not the kinda guy who sleeps with a girl he just met." He looked at her hoping he hadn't hurt her feelings; he really did think she was nice.  
Ash didn't move off his lap, but she withdrew her hands and backed off. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm _never _like this. I wasn't thinking about sex. Just.. it felt nice kissing." She was fiddling with her fingers while she spoke. It was rare for her to become nervous and flustered, but she was tonight.

Caleb laughed a little and held Ash's hands still. "Well, if you want.. we could just make out a little?"  
"If I haven't scared you off yet," Ash said shyly. Obviously she hadn't, because Caleb slid down the couch, pulling Ash with him so they were on their sides face to face. Just as he put an arm around her and put his lips on hers, the front door burst open. The movement was so fast; as if a ball of shadow had ripped Caleb off Ash and held him by his throat against the wall, feet dangling an inch above the ground. There stood Eric with long, sharp fangs exposed; a menacing, vicious look on his face. He looked like he was about to rip Caleb's head off. And he intended to.


	7. Love and Lust

"Eric, stop! Let him go!" Ashlyn half yelled, half screeched. Eric growled at Caleb, opening his mouth wide. He tilted his head back slightly and then forward again and bit down. Ashlyn wasn't his intended victim. She had jumped behind him and put her hand over his mouth, receiving the bite that was meant for a defenseless and terrified Caleb. It hurt like hell. Eric let go of Caleb and he dropped to the ground in a heap, struggling for breath. Her blood was like nothing he'd ever tasted. It was amazing. Sure that he wouldn't be able to stop, Ash jumped to the other side of the room.  
She screamed, "Get the _fuck_ out of my house Eric. I take back my invitation."

Eric hurtled backwards and out of the house. "Ashlyn, don't! I didn't mean-"  
"Save it Eric. How dare you come into my home and attack my friend." She was pissed and he knew it.  
"His hands were all over you. He had no right. You are mi-"  
Ash laughed, cutting him off again. "Are you shitting me? He had every right. I wanted that! _You_ had no fucking right. I am not yours. You left me high and dry. You ignored me for over two weeks. You don't deserve me. You're just like the rest." She held out her now blood-soaked hand, "You fucking bit me. Get the fuck off my property before I wrap a silver chain around your dead fucking throat."

Eric looked hurt, but Ash didn't care. She slammed the door in his face and tended to Caleb.  
"Caleb, I'm so sorry," she said as she squatted beside him. He grimaced and flinched when she touched his neck.  
"Don't. I'm leaving." He said coldly.  
"But Caleb, wait. I-"  
He cut her off, "and you can keep the CD."  
"I'm so sorry," was all she could manage as he walked out the door.  
He glanced at her one last time, holding his neck, limping. "Vampires? What the fuck is wrong you?" Ash could hear the venom behind his words.

She watched him drive away, closed the door and lent against it. Her back slid down until she was siting, holding her face in her hands and cursing repeatedly under her breath. She hoped to hell that Caleb hadn't seen her jump. He was so worked up about vampires that she was sure he hadn't. Realizing her hand was still bleeding and that she'd smeared blood on her face, she headed towards the bathroom. After a quick shower she inspected the wound; it wasn't too bad. Two small circles an inch apart in the center of the palm of her hand. It looked like nothing, but it was painful. She wrapped a bandage around her hand, each movement stinging a little. Eric must have taken a fair amount of her blood because she felt slightly light headed. She drank a glass of water and ate a few biscuits, then headed to bed.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._  
Ashlyn sat up in bed immediately when her phone went off. It was a reminder that she was supposed to be meeting Sandra in half an hour for brunch. She'd overslept by four hours, missing her job interview at the local newspaper. Not bothering with makeup, she ran a brush through her hair, brushed her teeth and put on the first clothes she picked up. Light blue jeans with a few small tears and a plain red v-neck shirt. She should have made the effort with makeup. Heavy bags under her eyes were tell-tale signs of a long night. If she could jump to the cafe, she would have. But Sandra didn't know about that, so she had to drive, leaving no time for makeup.

When she arrived, Sandra had already ordered their food. Coffees were being brought to them as Ash sat down.  
"So sorry I'm late, San. I forgot to set my alarm last night." She even sounded tired.  
"Oh no problem babe. You look like you could do with more sleep! Caleb keep you up all night?" Sandra winked and grinned widely.  
"No, no. He left around 11. He had to get going." Determined not to linger on it, Ash drew attention away from herself, knowing Sandra would be dying to talk about her night. "So did you and Dave have a good night? You left us early!"

As Ash suspected, Sandra was happy to talk about her night and totally forgot about everything else. They chatted a while after they finished eating. After they were done, they went their separate ways. Ash headed home, not feeling like doing anything more but sleep.

It felt like she'd only been asleep for a moment when she heard the doorbell ring. It was almost six o'clock. She got up lazily and slowly. It rang again as she stepped off the stairs.  
"I'm coming!" She yelled. "Keep your panties on!" She opened the door to find Caleb holding a small bunch of flowers, grinning at her last comment.

"Sorry, I don't wear panties," he teased.  
"Caleb, hi." She couldn't think of anything else to say. The vibes she got from him told her he was about to apologize. He handed her the flowers with an awkward smile. "They're beautiful Caleb. Thanks."  
"I just wanted to stop by on my way to my sisters school play to say I'm sorry about last night. I know it wasn't your fault. I just acted on impulse and I shouldn't have treated you like that. I think I was just frightened." He trailed off.  
"No, it's fine. You had every right to act like that. That fucking fanger was going to.." She didn't want to say it out loud; they both knew. "I am really sorry. I understand if you don't want to see me again."  
"Ash, I just brought you flowers. I think that means I do wanna see you again," he said with a cheeky grin. They both laughed a little.  
"Oh! If you're on your way to see your sister then let me grab that CD for you. One second!" She raced back into the kitchen and picked up the CD.  
"Thanks Ash. She'll love it. I better get going. Don't wanna be late or even this," he held out the CD, "won't save me. I'll call you tomorrow?"  
"I look forward to it. See you, Caleb." Ash watched him leave again and called out as he got in his car, "And don't worry, that bastard won't be coming back around here again."

He drove away with a smile on his face. Ash, too, was smiling. She suddenly felt more refreshed. She was in a good mood now, and for whatever reason she started to feel the need to apologize to Eric. He deserved everything he got last night, but she still felt a little guilty about how harsh she was. Knowing he probably wouldn't come over uninvited anymore, Ash sent him a short text, not wanting to speak directly to him just yet.

_We need to talk. Come over at 8 tonight if you can. Ash._

Eight o'clock came and went. Annoyed that he had blown her off, Ash decided she would just go to his house. If she had to stake some of his guards, well that was too bad for them. She opened her door to leave and not paying any attention, didn't notice Eric standing there. He had flowers in one hand, which Ash walked into and squished a little. His other hand was an inch away from her doorbell.

"Sorry," Ash mumbled and took a step back. Eric handed her the flowers. "I'm sure they looked a lot nicer before you got here."  
"They certainly did. But they still look better than those," he gestured to the flowers already on the table near the door where Ash had just set his down; the ones from Caleb. Ash decided to ignore his comment because truthfully, they did. Eric's bouquet was twice the size and filled with all her favourites.

"May I come in?" Eric knew the answer already.  
"No."  
He chuckled as he said, "it was worth a shot," then continued more seriously. "First off, sorry for being late. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find those particular flowers together in one bunch?" He paused, waiting for a response that never came. "I assume you asked me here to talk about last night?"  
"I did. I wanted to apologize. I'm still pissed at you for what you did to Caleb. But I am sorry for being so harsh about it. I could see that I hurt you. I was just so caught up in the moment, so angry." She stepped outside and lent against the wall adjacent to the door, keeping a good distance from Eric.

"You don't need to apologize Ash. You're right, I was out of line." Ash was glad to see that Eric knew the boundaries he had over-stepped. He continued, "this is your home, we are not together and you may see whomever you like."  
"I'm not seeing him, Eric, not yet anyway," she laughed.  
"So the flowers?"  
"Uh, after you left he got a little mad and left too." Why she was telling Eric this, she didn't know. She hadn't realized, but Eric had edged closer and closer and he was now standing right beside her.

"So, if you're not seeing him," he said with a smug look on his face, "does that mean I can do this?" He was in front of her now, his lips touching hers. After a few seconds, Ash turned her face to the side, breaking the kiss.  
"No, Eric. It doesn't mean you can do that." She was still majorly pissed at him.  
He smirked. "Why not?" He kissed her jaw, then her neck.  
"Eric.. mmm.. stop!" Damn him! He found that spot on her neck that sent chills down her spine and caused her to let out a small, involuntary moan.  
He put his lips to her ear and said softly, "you know you're enjoying it. Why don't you make me stop?"

But she couldn't. He moved his lips back to her mouth and she couldn't force her lips to stay closed to keep his tongue out. It just felt so good, working in rhythm with her own. Ash let her hands wander over his body. First his sides, then his back, followed by his hips. He pressed his body against her tightly, his own hands working their magic; from cupping her face to sliding up under her shirt, he had it covered. His cold hands made her shiver, which she oddly enjoyed. Eric enjoyed the warmth of her skin against him too. He pushed his hips lightly against Ash, the slight bulge in his pants making her moan yet again.

"Eric.. Stop.." She managed between small moans. Of course he didn't though, and Ash couldn't bring herself to stop it either. Her brain shouted no, but her body screamed yes. He slid his hands down to Ash's ass, giving it a nice long feel before pushing her up higher against the wall. She wrapped her legs around Eric's ass, and now that their hips were in line, Eric ground his into hers, slightly harder than before. His pants grew tighter still and Ashlyn's heart was pounding, her soft moans becoming more frequent. They were both extremely turned on and caught up in the moment that neither of them noticed Caleb standing there.

"And don't worry, that bastard won't be coming back around here again." Caleb said mockingly. Ash instantly let herself out of Eric's grip.  
"Caleb, it's-" she started, but he cut her off.  
"It's not what I think? Yeah fucking right. I saw the whole thing. Heard it too." His voice was filled with hatred and disgust. He laughed almost sadistically, "Fuck you Ashlyn. You can both rot for all I care."  
Eric was in front of him in a second, careful not to push his luck this time.  
"Don't you dare talk to her like that," he said ferociously and popped his fangs out. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Ash spoke first.  
"Both of you fucking stop it!" She shouted much louder than she had expected and it seemed to startle both men.

"Whatever. I'm done with you, you lying whore." Caleb's words cut like a razor. Ashlyn was no whore, she was just stupidly caught in a bad situation. He turned to walk away and Eric moved to go after him. Ash grabbed his wrist tightly, and Eric understood that he needed to let Caleb leave.  
"Yeah that'd be right," Caleb scoffed as he turned around near his car. "Holding onto the dead fucker's arm while I'm still fucking here! You really are a piece of work Ashlyn. If I never see you again it'll be too soon. Go and fucking die. Can't believe I thought for even a second I might be falling in love with you already." With that he got in his already running car and sped away.

Ash was hurt. For the first time in seven years, she cried. She sank to the ground, head on her knees just crying. She'd lost someone who she knew would have been very important to her if given the chance. All for a stupid moment of lust with a fucking vampire. She wanted Eric to get the hell away from her, but she couldn't manage to say the words. He was sitting with her, holding her while she cried. He didn't know why she was crying, nor did Ash; it's not like her and Caleb were even together. Human emotions weren't his strong point, but he knew that Ash just needed someone to care right now, and so he cared.

He held her bitten hand and unwrapped the bandage. His fangs slid out and he pierced his own finger, rubbing the blood onto the two small holes in Ash's hand. In seconds, they vanished; completely healed. He wiped his blood from her with the bandage, not bothering about his own finger as it had already healed. He stroked her hand.  
"I am so sorry, Ashlyn Flowers."


	8. Giving In

Eric sat with Ash all night. Still undecided as to whether she should invite him inside again, they just stayed outside by the door. She didn't cry for long, but it was comforting to know that he cared enough to stay with her as long as she needed. Truthfully, she didn't know what it was that she needed though. Caleb was so much like the man she called her first love. Only that didn't turn out so well.

They'd been together for one year, when Ash decided he needed to know what she was. He didn't handle it well and he left her. Anything even remotely supernatural was just too much for him to handle. He hated vampires with a passion. They'd killed his sister and he truly believed that anything supernatural was just as bad. Ash knew when she looked at Caleb that night that he had some sort of grudge against them too. It would be best if she just let him go. She didn't want him to end up dead like Steve.

On the other hand, she had Eric. He'd proven to her time and time again that he could care for her, even if his methods were a little.. unorthodox. And he certainly wasn't about to dump her for what she was. Truth be told, Eric excited Ashlyn, maybe even a little too much. He was powerful, witty, smart, incredibly handsome and so much fun. That's something Ash lacked in her life; fun. Until she met Eric, she thought that killing vampires was fun. But now she realized it could never compare to this sort of fun. It was just as unpredictable, maybe even more. She felt bad for Caleb, but she knew deep down in her heart that even if things had worked between them, she would only end up hurting him. No matter how hard she tried or wanted to, she couldn't shake Eric.

"I think you should get to bed, you've been nodding off constantly for the past few hours." Eric cooed softly. Ash yawned. He was definitely right, she was pooped and everything ached from sitting on the cold, paved ground.  
"I guess you should be getting home anyway, the sun will be up soon." She felt Eric nod against her, still holding her. Finally, they stood up. Eric of course felt fine, but Ash desperately needed to stretch. After a moment, she spoke again. "I'm trying hard to stay pissed at you, you know. It's taking a lot of effort." Eric gave a small chuckle.  
"You can be pissed at me all you like, it's sexy," he said with a wink, and Ash had no choice but to let her mouth curve into a smile. Eric kissed her lightly and quickly while her lips were still pressed into the smile, wanting to keep going but knowing that would be pushing it.

He was half a second away from flying home when Ash grabbed his hand.  
"Thank you Eric. I know you probably had other shit to do all night. It means a lot to me that you stayed, even if you were bored out of your brains."  
"Ashlyn Flowers, you are and your beauty the farthest thing from boring." Ash blushed like crazy. Luckily Eric had left the second he finished speaking, so he didn't see it. But she was sure he knew she was blushing anyway; she always did.

~

_What have you been up to girl? Look at you!_  
"What! I don't look any different to when you left, Adam. I think you've seen too many bright lights." Ash knew what was coming.  
_Please! I've known you your whole life. You've got big news for me!_  
Even via a video call on Skype, Adam knew her well enough to be able to tell when there was a major shift in her life.  
"Okay, okay. Shit's been going down friend. And I'm warning you now, it's all _really_ crazy."

It took nearly half an hour for Ash to recount everything that had happened since he'd left. From the first time she met Eric in the bar, to the moments of lust, to Caleb and all the events surrounding him and last night's melt down. Adam was shocked, but he was never judgmental towards Ashlyn. She had supported him and stood up for him all his life. When he was bullied and tormented and accused of being a 'fag', she was there. When he finally came out to the world after his stint on Idol, she was there. Never judging him, only supporting and loving him for everything he was. It was only fair that he returned the favour. They talked for another hour about it and of course Adam's tour. He had to be on stage in less than an hour and he needed to do whatever it was that he did to prepare.

_Just be careful, you hear?_  
"You know I will. Enjoy your show! You know where to find me next time you have a free moment. I can't wait for you to get home though."  
_Me either. I miss you Ashy! Love ya!_  
"Love you too, Adam. Go on, get out there and have a blast!" Adam poked his tongue at Ash as he ended the call. Ash was so happy and relieved to finally talk to Adam. He always knew the right things to say.

The sun had just set deeply enough that the vampires could come out to play. Ash wasn't expecting, only anticipating that Eric would be visiting her. By now she absolutely could not stay mad at him anymore and was finally starting to come to terms with this new and scary romance. Adam had helped a lot with that. As if Eric had read her mind, the doorbell rang not one minute after the sun was down. Only it wasn't Eric. It was.. Steve? No, that's impossible! Steve died two years ago at the hands of a vampire. Or so Ash thought.

She stood at the door, mouth wide open in total shock.  
"No, this must be some kind of joke. You're dead." Ash didn't know what was going on at all. It couldn't be him, could it? Unless.. Oh, no.  
"You're right. I am dead baby, and I'm back to haunt you," he said slyly. "Now why don't you invite an old flame inside?"  
"Do you think I'm stupid, Steve? And don't touch th-" Too late. As he touched the door frame, he grimaced in pain, fangs exposing themselves. "What is it with you vamps and touching my house? You should know better, Steven." Steven. She only ever called him that when she was mad. And right now she was. "I'm not inviting you in, so get the fuck of my porch."

He didn't move though, of course he didn't. "Why so hostile, baby?" He leaned his head into the door as far as the invisible barrier would let him, his face filled with malice.  
"Don't you dare call me baby," she spat. "You know damn well while I'm pissed. But I'm warning you. You will never get your hands on me long enough to disturb a single hair on my body. I dare you to try though. You'll have to get through him first." By now, Eric had joined the party. Steve should have heard him coming from a mile away, literally. But he was still a very young vampire and clearly not as aware as he should be. Eric picked him up with one hand and squeezed his throat, just like he'd done to Caleb, but without a wall to support him.

"I am Sheriff of Area 5 and you do _not_ come into my area and start this bullshit. I do not know or care who the fuck you are. This province has a very good reputation for vampire-human cooperation. I will not allow you to run wild like a fucking wolf." His grip tightened; long, sharp fangs extending. "If I see you within one mile of this house again, I will personally stake you. Am I clear?"  
Steve managed to squeeze out a 'yes' in agreement, but Eric wasn't done yet and squeezed Steve's throat even tighter. A human would surely be dead by now.  
"And in case you hadn't worked it out, that means we have a no feeding in public policy. You will not, under any circumstances, feed from a human in public. Nor will you kill one in a private place or otherwise. Or you will meet the true death." He threw Steve into the street with such ease. "Fucking baby vampires."  
Steve looked at Ash for one last second, saying "soon," before he disappeared into the night.

"A no feeding policy? You wanna tell that to the dozens of vamps who've tried to feed from me?" This wasn't news to Ash; vampires had only just officially exposed themselves to the world a few months ago. Lots of people knew about them before that but it was never world-wide, public knowledge. This no-feeding policy was their way of saying 'Hey, we're here to stay and we'll put the effort in if you will.' It was still too early after the revelation for either side to be totally used to it. Vampires were still breaking their newly founded laws and attacking people, and humans were still extremely threatened by the vampires. It would take time for things to settle down.

"Well, you saw to it that they were punished accordingly, didn't you?" She knew Eric would say something like that. By now his fangs were retracted and he was calm.  
"Eric, that's hardly the point and you know it. And what do you mean wolf? Don't tell me there's fucking werewolves here too."  
He suddenly became very serious. "No. How do you know about them?"  
"Are you kidding?" Ash laughed a little. "How do I know about vampires or witches or anything else supernatural? I mean I'm clearly not 100% human am I?" She made a fair point.

After finally deciding to invite Eric in again, they spent the next few hours just talking. Hoping he wouldn't bring up Steve, Ash tried to keep conversation flowing about Eric. He was hesitant to delve into such detail about his life; he didn't like to speak about most of it. But he told her bits and pieces anyway. Finally, he managed to get back to the topic of Steve. Ash sighed, knowing she couldn't put off talking about it forever.

"We dated for a year. Before he was made vampire, of course. Until tonight, I thought he'd just died. I should have known though. It was a vampire that killed him and there was always a possibility they'd turn him." Eric nodded but didn't say anything. "After a year, I figured he should know about me. I told him about my abilities, and that all those times I bailed on him was because another vamp had found me and I had to get rid of them. I figured he'd be okay with it. His sister was killed by a vampire and he hated them. But he went ape-shit, saying I was no better than them, that I wasn't normal. He tried to kill me a few times."

Eric had that look in his eyes again. "He did _what_?"  
"Tried, Eric, tried. Calm down." He did.  
"What happened to him?"  
"He came after me one night, while I was going at it with a vampire, the idiot. He got in the way and the vampire snapped his neck. I was kind of glad he was gone, but it was still a shock, I mean we were together for a year. I didn't know what to do so I just jumped home. I shouldn't have let that vampire get away. If I hadn't, Steve would still be dead - really dead. The vamp too. He was really old though. I have no idea how old, but very, and he had this air of great power. Not just physical, but it was like he was real important as well. It was a struggle." Ash explained what he looked like and Eric knew instantly who this vampire was and his eyes widened. If his child was here, that meant he was too. The king had found the Jumper.


End file.
